Mamata criticize central govt on fund release

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said the Centre owes the state more than Rs 13,000 crore under various developmental schemes this year while BJP leader and Union Minister Babul Supriyo accused the state of not utilising funds properly.

“By our calculation till November 25, we are supposed to get Rs 13,714 crore from the central government under various developmental schemes even after paying off our yearly debt of Rs 40,000 crore to the centre,” Banerjee said after the administrative meeting at the state secretariat Nabanna.

She said the money is to be paid by the Centre under central schemes like NDRF (National Disaster Response Fund), Swachh Bharat Mission, National Urban Livelihood Mission, National Rural Drinking Water Programme, exchange of enclaves and so on.

Refuting the allegations, Supriyo said: “For the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, about 1,393 crore was released for the state in 2016-17 and in the current fiscal, the release was to the tune of Rs 3,208 crore. How many houses were built?”

Alleging that actual beneficiaries were deprived of getting guaranteed job under the MGNREGA in the state, he said about Rs 3,744 crore was released from centre in the 2014-15 fiscal for the scheme and it was increased to Rs around 5,054 crore in the current fiscal for the same.

In terms of Amrut project, Supriyo said the centre was able to release Rs 489.71 crore till date against the state’s entitlement of Rs 4,035 crore during 2015-2020 period, because the state was yet to submit the utilisation certificate of the first installment.